ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has left for the United States to take part in the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) News said on Sunday. 

Each September, world leaders and delegates gather at the UN Headquarters in New York to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world in line with the UN charter. The annual session would begin on Sept. 19 and conclude after a week on Sept. 26. 

Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson said on Thursday Kakar would address the UNGA on Sept. 22, adding that the central focus of the session would be rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity. She said Kakar would outline Pakistan’s perspective on a range of regional and general issues of concern, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute which is “among the longest-standing unresolved items on the UN agenda” between Pakistan and India. The spokesperson added Kakar would also participate in a summit on sustainable development goals and other high-level meetings organized under UNGA’s auspices. 

“Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has departed for his five-day visit of the US,” PTV News wrote on the social media platform X. “The caretaker prime minister will address the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York and also meet global leaders.”

The state-run media said Kakar is scheduled to take part in an important conference on climate change at the UN, adding that he would hold interactions with international media and American think tanks. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jillani arrived in New York ahead of Kakar to prepare for the UNGA session. 

International affairs analysts told Arab News earlier Kakar’s participation would be primarily symbolic with limited impact due to the caretaker government’s transitional nature.

“This visit will not have much impact on the country as everyone is aware that this is a transitional caretaker setup,” former foreign secretary Salman Bashir said.

He said Pakistan was facing a lot of issues related to its security and political stability, adding that internal matters should have taken greater priority for the government than the prime minister’s UNGA participation.

“Under the current circumstances when the country is facing so many challenges, the prime minister should have stayed in the country and allowed the foreign minister to participate in the annual UNGA event,” he added.

Dr. Huma Baqai, another foreign affairs expert, partially endorsed Bashir’s opinion, saying: “The fact that he is a caretaker prime minister will not make his presence at the UNGA as effective and impactful as that of an elected PM.”